Charles L. Black III serves as the Executive Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Development for Hilton & Hyland. Previously, he was instrumental in creating and implementing strategies that helped expand the global presence of Montage Beverly Hills he was the Director of Sales & Marketing. Any luxury brands interested in partnering with Hilton & Hyland should contact him at hiltonhyland@destinationluxury.com.

Partners Rick Hilton and Jeff Hyland established the firm in 1993 with the intention of creating a small real estate boutique that would grow to meet the demands of the market, yet never outgrow a founding philosophy for meeting the uniquely individual concerns of each client. Together they have built strong ties to the global marketplace while holding fast to the advantages of a small one-office brokerage based in Beverly Hills. As founding affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, the firm is the only Los Angeles area broker represented by a company thathas been bringing the world’s most influential – and affluent – buyers and sellers together for 230 years.

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Our days in the playground are long gone, days when having the newest Barbie’s, Fisher Price toys, and Cabbage Patch Kids made you the coolest kid on the playground. Your inner 8 year old would never imagine owning these modern gadgets and incredible jaw dropping toys. These toys will leave you wondering how you ever lived without them.

 

10.The Killer Whale Submarine – $100,000

This awesome toy is a two-person watercraft that replicates an Orca in both appearance and features. The pilot and passenger are protected by a 1/2”-thick acrylic canopy, allowing for submersion in a water-tight cockpit. The submarine is controlled like an aircraft with two levers used to negotiate the submerging, hydroplaning, and jumping. That’s right, with a pull-back on the control lever this baby can jump up to 16 feet out of the water! It can hydroplane up to 50 mph over the water’s surface, and can cruise up to 25 mph under water.

 

9. Porsche 917 Le Mans Raceway – $125,000

 

This full-sized Porsche 917 replica hides a 1:32-scale wooden slot car track underneath the frame of the body. The car track is a reproduction of the world’s oldest active sports raceway, the iconic Le Mans track in France. The car is painted in the same color scheme as the #20 race car from the classic 1971 movie starring Steve McQueen, and it sports genuine race-worn GT tires on aluminum three-piece rims, with working headlights and taillights.

A similar Camaro Z28 Watkins Glen Raceway is also available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $85,000.

8. ‘Watercar’, The World’s Fastest Amphibious Car – $135,000

This sweet car is perfect for anyone looking for a twist on traditional boating or towing. The car is powered by a 300-hp Honda engine, and operates like a regular four-speed vehicle on land, reaching up to 80 mph on the road. When it’s time to hit the water, the built-in hydraulic wheel retraction system raises the wheels above the bottom of the hull and redirects the engine’s power to a Panther pump jet, capable of hitting 44 mph over water.

 

7. The Flying Hovercraft – $190,000

 

This epic hovercraft glides over land and water, but it also soars in the air up to 70 mph. The 130-hp twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled gas engine is turbocharged and fuel-injected, helping to drive the 60” wood and carbon thrust propeller into the air. A 1,100-rpm, 34” lift fan inflates the vinyl-coated nylon skirt to help this beast hover above the ground.

The Flying Hovercraft can hit 30% inclines over mud, sand, swamp, grass, and snow, and its wings and horizontal elevator allows pilots to hop over water- or land-based obstacles up to 20 feet. The hovercraft is run on three vertical rudders based on throttle controls, and a variable drive system allows for the lift fan to make the thing hover.

6. 120 MPH Electric Car – $200,000

 

This little box-car might not be the safest thing on the road, but it’s fast. The electric car can accelerate from 0 to 60 in four seconds, and it reaches a top speed of 120 mph in one gear, without any shifting tanks, thanks to its two electric motors. The same kind of motors (albeit smaller) are found in diesel-electric locomotives, and they combine over 1,000 lb foot of torque.

The ‘120 MPH Electric Car’ can fit in a 6’ half-lane with more clearance than a semi-truck in a full 12’ freeway lane, which means it can negotiate stop-and-go traffic. You don’t need to worry about parallel parking, either, because it can park perpendicular to a curb. The driver and passenger sit tandem in front to back seats with inertia reels, similar to pilot seat belts, and the stainless steel chassis has a chrome moly roll cage that is Sports Car Club of America standard.

5. Authentic 1966 Batmobile – $200,000

 

This ridiculously cool car takes a year to make because of the exacting accuracy needed in matching it to the original Batmobile. The roadworthy replica featured in the 1960s TV show boasts a Lincoln chassis with 430 hp, a 383 Blueprint Crate engine, and a Monster TH350 automatic transmission. A rear-facing propane tank creates the same afterburner effect as the original car, although it doesn’t have the atomic batteries or turbines for speed. There’s a built-in Batphone in the cockpit, as well as switch-operated electric actuators to open the trunk and hood. Other features include a Batbeam that raises from a hood-mounted antenna, empty rear parachute packs, and a detect-a-scope screen.

4. The Helicycle – $395,000

 

This two-seat vehicle converts from a three-wheeled motorcycle to a gyrocopter in just 10 minutes. At 230-hp, and with a four-cylinder engine, this craft can reach a maximum of 112 mph in the air or on the land. Yes, that’s right, you can cruise through the air at over 100 mph in this beast. On street level, the vehicle goes from 0-60 mph in under eight seconds with the agility of a motorcycle. In the air, the gyrocopter’s non-powered overhead rotor spins from the forward motion of the vehicle to provide lift. It was designed to cruise at low altitudes (below 4,000 feet), but it only requires a 540’ runway for takeoffs. The 27-gallon tank provides a 220-mile flight range, and 750 miles on the road

 

3. Restored Patrol Torpedo Boat – $1,000,000

 

The PT-728 is a 67 year-old patrol boat restored from World War II. The keel was laid in 1945, and she is one of 12 remaining PT boats in the world.

The speed that this boat could run prompted Nelson Rockefeller to convert one of the boats into a high-speed yacht in order to commute between Albany and New York. The modern engines provide 1,100 horsepower, modern electronics, radar, and two turbo-charged diesel engines.

2. Kuratas Wearable Robot – $1,300,000

No really. This looks like a dodgy Michael Bay concept, but the wearable robot really does let big kids act like real life Transformers – if they can pay the Hollywood price tag. This incredible machine is the invention of Japan-based Suidobashi Heavy Industry.

1. Five Person Exploration Submarine – $2,700,000

 

This five-person submersible can descend to depths of up to 656’, meaning it’s potentially able to access wrecks, reefs, and deep underwater species. Basically, if you’re rich and have childlike fantasies of finding lost treasure, this is the toy you want for the job. There’s also a two-person version available for the bargain price of $2,000,000 from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Which was your favorite toy? Let us know below.

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